


Confession of the Heart

by MinawaKitten



Series: The Fool With Stars in Her Eyes [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: AU, F/M, Spoilers, tfw u write but ur not even sure ur writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 20:23:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10670112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinawaKitten/pseuds/MinawaKitten
Summary: The selfish Justice knows he must let go of his Empress, but he's not ready yet. . .Just a little longer. . .





	Confession of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Written while listening to  
> Sense of Isolation from Persona 3 The Movie #1: Spring of Birth OST  
> Heart Wavers from Persona 3 The Movie #2: Midsummer Knight's Dream OST  
> Confessions ( Arranged Versions ) from Persona 3 The Movie #4: Winter of Rebirth OST
> 
> \----
> 
> Includes late game spoilers -- some of which were obvious but not so much for the others. Basically, spoilers pass 11/20 + Velvet Room related shit.
> 
> The MC is named Takahisa Kido due to adopting a headcanon that Reiji Kido is his father. 
> 
> I like to think Reiji came to terms with his issues about Kanadori -- like it’s not his half-brother’s fault his dad was a deadbeat and abusive to his mother -- and given Kanadori was being controlled and used by the big bad from P1/P2:IS/P2:EP, I feel he might have become real sympathetic about him and named his son after his brother to like, give him another chance -- metaphorically anyway.

He’s no fool about the current state of his situation.

A couple of weeks ago he admitted to the Phantom Thieves that he was the one behind the Psychotic Breakdown Incidents — that under Shido’s orders he went about killing the Shadows of individuals that were in the way of Shido and his associates, which would lead to a complete psychological collapse and, in time, death in the victim.

On top of that, he boldly — if not stupidly — informed them he was Shido’s bastard son.

All he ever wanted wanted was to be showered with his father’s love and attention . . . but he also wanted to guide him to the top of the world, only to pull the rug under his feet and watch his dreams shatter as his crimes were made public knowledge. To put simple, he wanted to ruin his entire career all so that man could, once and for all, care for him. But he was too blind and foolish to even realize that Shido was using him instead of the other way around. . .

It was crushing to learn that not only did Shido suspected he as his son — all because he had such a likeness to his mother’s forgotten face —  but, that he was going to kill him anyway.

God. It’s almost hilarious.

Why did he ever think anything else would happen?

In the eyes of Japanese society, illegitimate children and orphans are a taboo subject and the latter were not called ‘throw away children’ for nothing.

Society, even her own family, looked down on his mother and gave her so much shame, grief and agony that she came to the conclusion that ending her life was the better option, leaving him utterly alone. From that moment on, his childhood was filled with nothing but abuse and neglect from the overcrowded system — including bullying from the hierarchy of power organized by the older orphaned children — and contempt from society as a whole. It only got worse once he hit fifteen. He was promptly ejected out of the system and told to fend for himself in a society that relies heavily on the koseki.

With no family, he was nothing — and as far as anyone cared -- he would return to nothing.

And now, after the two years of abuse and manipulation, he’s sadly realized it was utterly pointless his actions were and that he has nothing to show for it. . . Maybe nothing but a number of dead bodies, leaving behind suffering individuals that will venomously hate him for living while their parents died because of his actions and . . . three Co-operations; The Fool, Empress and Justice. How ironic, after reaching a point of no return, he’s found people to rely on but. . . Co-operations are useless at this point. . .

After everything, he’s not an idiot.

Soon enough, he’s going to be arrested and charged with heinous crimes. . . everything he built to make people love and adore him will be shattered and he will face either life in prison or, worse, the death penalty.

* * *

 

Gazing into his cup of coffee he sees the reflection of his tired and haggard face in the brown liquid. Exhaling out his nose, he watches the liquid ripple as he — almost mechanically — pour in some cream and gives it a gentle stir with his spoon. Truthfully, he’s not actively listening to what the Phantom Thieves are discussing — even if they’re letting him in on their upcoming plan to raid Mementos one last time — because of the low energy Takahisa is exhibiting and the fact it’s affecting others to the point that nothing is actually getting done at the present moment.

Given the knowledge he’s gained from his time with the group, Takahisa usually hits a low when stressed or when his mother is down. And anyone can clearly see that’s exactly how she feels at the moment. In fact, she seems to be in such a funk that she’s not even trying to hide how down she is currently feeling. Sitting next to him in their booth seat, she’s resting her head in her arms as she slouches on top of the surface of the table and lets out yet another deep sigh within the span of two minutes.

It’s almost intriguing how one depressed ‘team mom’ — who, ironically, is Takahisa Kido’s legal mother but because of some odd time paradox ( or something ), she had yet to birth him — can cause everyone to crash and burn.

Almost.

She was Team Mom for a reason, not simply because she was someone's biological mother. She greeted everyone with a warm and beautiful smile on her lovely face and her heart was abundant in kindness and care for the others. Her heart and ears were always open to listen to someone’s troubles and to give them comfort when they needed it the most.

However, she was swift to drop the playful behavior she exhibited when she was in a comfortable environment in order to firmly express her beliefs. May it be everyone deserves redemption if they express genuine remorse for their actions or loud earth shattering protests against abuse and other injustice.

While she was determined and focused in battle or during various confrontations and negotiations, she was a bit foolish and put the needs and safety of others before her own, resulting in her becoming the most frequently injured person in battle.

But, even though weeks have passed, and they’ve spent a number of hours together, he still can’t fathom why she confronted the cognitive version of himself that Shido created. Up until that point, even during the heat of battle, she gazed upon him with nothing but contempt and hatred.

Strong, beautiful, nurturing and loving. . . Maybe that was why she was his Empress. . .

“Are you okay Akechi-kun?” Her soft voice pulls him from his train of thought. He finds her warm, shimmering eyes gazing upon him with a small smile present on her thin lips. For a moment, his brain struggles to find the proper words. He's so accustomed to be at the center of attention among teenagers and being fawn over but he has no idea how to respond now that the shoes is on the other foot. He coughs rather loudly, making her smile grow in return.

“Of course. Why do you ask?”

“Everyone else left.” She smiles sweetly. “You’ve been staring at your coffee for a while. . ."

Ah.

“I see. . . Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing. I’ve just been thinking. . .”

“If you say so. It’s getting late, so maybe we should head back to the apartment now. If you’re ready that is."

“Right, we should head back before Theodore begins to worry about you.” He offers her a smile and she grins in return, her fingers threading through the pearly white locks of hair that rest on her shoulders.

“He worries about you too.” Akechi stares at her -- his eyes blown open with shock -- for several moments. Even after all this time, he’s unable to find a response to such a simple statement. Honestly, the concept of anyone remotely caring for him still feels unreal.

As the two of them exit the booth Takahisa leans over the surface of the table to grab the abandoned cup of coffee on the table’s surface. He moves it to the counter before turning back to the young woman and pulling her into a hug. She smiles gently, patting his head and threading her hand through his messy black hair. Takahisa’s hold on her betrays nothing about how troubled the whole situation has made him feel.

After all, despite stealing Shido’s heart and his public confession, Japan has voiced no disgust or horror about the heinous crimes he’s enacted or ordered from behind the scene. They’re more concerned with more trivial things and when will he get to work. . . All their words and reactions just . . . make no sense. It’s like they’ve chosen to remain oblivious to the actual truth of things.

“You’ve done so well Takahisa.” She smiles, affectionately cupping his face in her hands and rubbing her thumbs against his cheeks. Takahisa’s face glows red before glancing away from his mother but she continues to smile. “Have some faith in yourself. . . you’re a smart boy after all.”

“Right, okaasan. . . thank you. . .” She smiles once more, pressing a kiss to his forehead. She then releases him and returns to Akechi’s side. With one last wave, the two of them exit the cafe, leaving Takahisa alone.

 

* * *

 

The first few times she escorted him around it was rather awkward but, slowly and steadily, as they grew accustomed and learned more about each other, it started to feel natural. In small ways, she walked him about the city or took him to various places -- places she found peace and hope -- and shared them with him in a small attempt to show him that the world wasn’t entirely ugly.

As much as he didn't want to admit, he yearned to feel her presence by his side. But, today, the walk back to her apartment was unusually tense. One of her hands clutched the strap of her purse to the point her knuckles were turning white and her eyes seemed hollow. Slowly, her steps came to a stop. He looked back at her, concerned about her behavior but all she did was stare at her feet.

“Melody-san?”

“I. . . I got in contact with. . . the Shadow Operatives. . .”

“Shadow Operatives?” Akechi repeats, confusion evident in his voice. For a moment, a hint of a smile appears on her face only for it to vanish moments later.

“It’s a section of the police that take care of Shadows and Persona related activities. . . They’re old friends and family of mine . . so, I won’t have to worry about what happened to Takahisa while he was in police custody happening to you if you’re in their care.” Akechi furrows his brows in disgust at that particular memory. The cops pumped drugs into Takahisa’s body, making him sluggish and suffer from memory problems along with assaulted him — even threatening to break his leg — before making him sign a false confession. He can only imagine how livid _she_ was when she heard this news. “They’ll treat you with more respect then the Shibuya police could muster and they’ll be able to help you with. . . you know, your problems . . .”

Ah yes. Cluster B personality disorders. According to what she's managed to dig up, he has a bit of each of the four disorders in this cluster. A disregard for others, lack of empathy, a rather extreme ‘black and white’ thought process, poor self-image, behavior that lead to self-harm and impulsive actions, and attention seeking behavior.

Unfortunately, he could not really deny these characteristics but given their current situation it was hard to confirm if he genuinely had these disorders, and if he did, get the proper medical attention.

“I see. . . That is a relief to know.” He forces a smile onto his face for the sake of her. But she doesn’t return the expression. She can only show regret and pain.

“I’m sorry, but this seems to be the extent of what I can do for you. . . I wish. . . I wish I could have done something more for you. I . . . I really wish I saw through all those fake smiles you gave me while you were suffering deep down. . . No one deserves what you’ve gone through. . .” Her strained voice filled with pain made it feel like a knife pierced his very heart and twisting in his chest. She has no reason to feel so upset how things have turned out. After all, it’s not her fault that he’s such useless, a disgusting mess and a stain in society’s eyes.

“It can’t be helped.” He responds noncommittally. “After all, any efforts would have been in vain up until this point. . .” Her frown deepens and her eyes begin to water.

“It’s so unfair. . .” She whispers softly. “Shit like this makes it feel like. . . everything I work for is almost pointless. . . No matter how much hope and joy I attempt to foster in the hearts of people there’s still victims of abuse or other tragic situations. Good people that turn to bad things because they feel like there’s no other option for them. . .” For a moment, she pauses then looks up to him as tears falls from her eyes, begging for some. . . comfort. From him.

Akechi suddenly finds himself fretting and unsure of what to say or do. He’s never . . . actually _seen_ her cry before. For a while he thought it was almost impossible for her to even cry. . . but that’s a completely nonsensical idea. For whatever she is, she's very human-like and could express emotions all the same.

Now, in this situation he could offer his handkerchief. It would be the polite option. . . but it would be like saying there was a wall between them at this point in their relationship, wouldn’t it? Or . . . a hug. . . She offered them to those in need without hesitation, but wouldn’t that be too forward — not to mention, intimate — for him to do?

His brain struggles to figure _something_ out as he watched her whimpering struggles to breath between the tears that stream down her red face. . . His face screws up with anger and contempt at himself. Seeing her like this was wrong and it was _his_ damn fault she’s even in this state.

The feeling of a sudden tug to her wrist causes her let out a gasp of shock and fumble over her own feet. However, instead of falling flat on her face, Akechi pulls her against his body and she finds her face resting against the curve of his neck. Her tears, which briefly stopped due to shock, came back at full force. She rubbed her face against his shoulder as a tiny whimper escaped her lips.

He can hardly believe he’s actually doing this but his actions are moving faster than he could even process them. In his arms. . . all he wants is her in his arms. It just. . . feels so right.

Her trembling body held on tightly as if she was afraid he would disappear at any moment. Slowly he raised a hand to the back of her head and carefully threaded his fingers through her long shimmering hair. She shivered softly and pressed her face into his neck once more. He smiled softly, taking the hint that she enjoyed the feeling.

Holding onto each other they ignored the world that continued to go on around them. In that moment, the world could have been void of life and that would have been fine. This moment was beyond precious to the two of them. A true treasure.

"Maybe things would have been different if we met a couple of years ago. . . but I haven't regretted a single moment spent with you." Shocked by his words, she looks up at him with eyes that burned with hope and. . . dare he say, love, for him. "You opened a new aspect of me, bringing forth a light I've never seen before to my life." His voice was soft and kind. Warm even.

Gently, his gloved hand wiped the tears from her eyes and stroked the skin under her puffy eyes. Several moments passed as they gazed into each other's eyes. She then leaned up to him with lidded starry blue eyes and he leaned down to meet her halfway.

Her lips were soft, pouring every ounce of her love and genuine feelings into the kiss. He held on tight, bringing her in for kiss after kiss, even after she was breathless and her face was flushed red.

It was selfish of him to even imply that he has feelings for her -- much less return her genuine ones when there's so many better lovers out there for her. Ones that aren't going to rot away in jail.

But. . .

Just for a little longer, they both would be selfish. . .

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so, if it wasn't clear enough, MC’s mother is my self-insert [ because i love Reiji so much lmao ]. The kid is like a little shit poster and half of his in-game responses are shit I would totally say. my beautiful meme son . . .. .
> 
> Now, chronologically, she has not yet had Takahisa or even met Reiji. As mentioned, due to weird timeshit, she will go back in time to deal/aid in the events of P1 and that’s when she’ll meet Reiji and in time, marry him to have Takahisa.
> 
> She’s only mixed into P5 stuff because she originally intended to find out what happened to the Velvet Room since she lost all connection with it and Margaret, Theodore, Agatha and Viktor ( the latter two are new assistant used in my own writing projects ) ended up moving into an apartment with her because even THEY were mysteriously ejected out of the room.
> 
> She senses something weird going on in Shibuya and ends up stationing herself in the city in hopes of finding a new Wild Card and thus, a hint about what’s happening in the Velvet Room. Instead she ends up tangled in Phantom Thieves stuff and happens to discover that the leader is her own son -- a son she’s yet to have -- but still her son.
> 
> ¯\\_(シ)_/¯  
> me @ internet: look  
> just let me have this . .. ..  
> let me kiss this piece of shit boy i got the gay ass dokis for


End file.
